I suddenly felt bad how these amazing women, with all their existence and their presence, their talents and their skills, and intelligence and depth and intellect, were reduced to one part of their body.

The possibility of a vaginal tear and stitches came to me as a shock, as I realized that there is still so much that I am not aware of about my own body!

They may sympathize with their partners or spouses who suffer silently with painful contraception, sterilization, unwanted pregnancies or abortions, but not once do they consider vasectomy as an option.

“All the pain and trauma will vanish as soon as you see the baby’s face,” women are told. Thus, the entire traumatic vaginal delivery event is sugar coated, overly romanticised.

We need to have conversations that normalise a woman's body in its infinite variety, so that women are not traumatised by the constant shaming, and men learn better or keep their opinions to themselves.